Lifting-jack for automobiles.



V. KOFTAN' LIFTING JACK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 1914.

Patented Apr. 6,- 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

V. KOFTAN.

LIFTING JACK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 19M.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-4312 2- m5]. N\ m THE NORRIS PETERS TO-LJTHO., WASHINGTON. 0.C4

VINCENT KOFTAN, OF TYNIDALL, SOUTH DAKOTA.

LIFTING-JACK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application filed February 28, 1914. Serial No. 821,714.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINCENT KOFTAN, citizen of the United States,residing at Tyndall, in the county of Bonhomme and State of SouthDakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLifting-Jacks for Automobiles, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in liftingjacks for automobiles, and has particular reference to that type whichare designed especially for use in garages.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel form oflifting ack which consists essentially in two horses which may beapplied to the front and rear axles of the automobile for lifting allfour wheels ofi the floor, thereby relieving the tires of all weightwhile the automobile is in storage.

A further object of the invention is to equip the horse which isdesigned for application to the rear axle of the automobile with a novelform of stabilizing member which is mounted for swinging movement and isadapted, when in normal position, to prevent the tilting of the rearhorse, but is also adapted, when swung upwardly, to permit the rearhorse to tilt for the purpose of allowing the automobile to be loweredto the ground.

A still further object is to construct a lifting or hoisting apparatusof the character described with such regard to number, proportion andarrangement of parts that it may be cheaply manufactured, will bedurable and efficient in its action, and may be readily and quicklyemployed in lifting and supporting any automobile or vehicle above theground or floor.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the followingspecification, and then more particularly pointed out in the claims,which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein there has been illustrated thepreferred embodiment of this invention as it is reduced to practice, andthroughout the several views of which similar reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automobile showing the liftingapparatus in supporting position, the adjacent wheels of the automobilebeing removed to more clearly disclose the manner in which the twohorses of the apparatus are applied to the front and rear axles of theautomobile; Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the horses in therelation which they bear to one another when in supporting positionbeneath an automobile; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the two horses,illustrating the manner in which they are applied beneath the front andrear axles of an automobile prior to the lifting operation; and Fig. 4is a side elevation showing the two horses in the position which theyassume after the lifting operation has been performed and the automobilehas been lifted from the ground with its forward and rear axlessupported by the two horses. This figure also illustrates by solid anddotted lines the manner in which the stabilizing leg or bar ismanipulated to either prevent or permit the tilting of the rear horse.

Before taking up the detailed description of the drawings, I desire toexplain that, while I have designed my invention particularly for use inconnection with auto mobiles, have illustrated, and will hereinafterdescribe it in that connection, it may, nevertheless, be employed withequal efficiency for jacking up farm wagons, carriages, or any othervehicles without requiring any alterations in the structure or relativearrangement of its various parts.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, Ihave provided two horses which are designated as entireties by thenumerals 10 and 11. The member 10 is adapted for application to thefront axle of the automobile, while the member 11 is designed forapplication to the rear axle of the automobile.

The horse member 10 consists essentially, as best illustrated in Fig. 2,in a body member or base bar 12 which is preferably formed fromrelatively heavy scantling, although some other material, such as steelor iron, may be employed, if found desir- 'able. The terminals of thebase member 12 are cut-away as at 13 to receive the terminals of theuprights or legs 14 and 15. These leg members 14 and 15 are also formedfrom lengths of scantling, although they may also be substituted bymetallic legs. Embracing the upper end and the sides of each of themembers 14 and 15 is an adjustable bracket which is adapted to receivethe automobile other side portion 22. The purpose in thus forming theaxle receiving socket 20 will be herein-after more'fully explained inthat portion of the specification devoted to the description of theapplication and the removal of the horse during the raising and loweringof the automobile. Each of the arms 18 and 19 of the-two brackets 16 and17 are longitudinally slotted, as indicated at 23, ,so that the-operatormay, by loosening the nuts24- of the bracket securing bolts 25, adjustthe brackets to the desired elevation, and; then by re-tightening thenuts hold them fixed in such adjusted position. In this con nection, itmay be well to explain that the preferred embodiment of the apparatus isso constructed that the sockets 20 will rest on the upper terminals ofthe legs14 and 15 when the apparatus is applied to any ordinaryautomobile of standard axle clearance.

The horse member, indicated at 11, is somewhat similar to the member 10in construction, consisting as it does ina base member or bar 26, theterminals of which are cut-away to receive a pair of vertical legs 27and. 28. Brackets, indicated at 29 and 30, are secured to the legs 27and 28 to receive the rear axle of the automobile. These brackets aresubstantially identical in construction, each consisting in anyelongated strip of relatively heavy metal, which is bent intermediateits length into a substantially L-shape. The longer leg of each bracket,indicated at 31, is longitudinally slotted to receive bolts or someother similar fastening devices 32, which are inserted in the legmembers 27 and 28, and permit the operator to secure the horizontal leg33 at the desiredelevation. These horizontal legs 33 of the brackets areof such length that they extend beyond the forward edges of thehorselegs 27 and 28. That portion of cup-like'socket, as indicated at '34 and35.

'These sockets are adapted to receive the rear axle of the automobile,as best shown in Fig. 1.

A stabilizing leg, indicated as a whole at 36, is swingingly attached tothe horse 11 for the purpose of preventing the rear horse from tiltingwhen the automobile is supported above the'fl-ooror ground. Thisstabilizing leg includes a body bar 37 and a pair of terminal links 38and 39'. The mem here 38 and 39 are formed from strips of sheet metal,-and are bent intermediate their length, as at 40 in Fig. 1,-so that thelower portion of the links, indicated at 41,'e'xten'd angularly inspacedrelation to the legs 27 and 28,- when the device is appliedto theautomobile. The lower terminals of the links are secured to theterminals of the bar 37 by bolts or similar fastening devices,'indicated at 42, and are pivotally connected at their upper terminalsto-the upper portions of the horse legs 27 and 28 pins'43 carried by theattaching brackets 43'.

When the rear horse 11 is in position to support the rear axle of theautomobile'in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the stabilizing by pivot imember 36' is allowed to swing downwardly 7 so that the bar 37 will reston the ground or floor. The bar 3-7 thus forms in connection with themember 26 spaced supporting mem bers for the rear axle.

In this connection, it is to be noted that the axle is received withinthe sockets 34 and 35 of the brackets 30 and 31, and that inasmuchasthese sockets lie beyond' the edge of the legs. 27 and 28', the normaltendency of the weight of the machine would be to tilt the rear horsefor-- wardly, allowing the wheels to drop down onto the ground. Such anoccurrence, however, is prevented by equipping the rear horse with theswinging stabilizing leg 36,

as will be appreciated upon reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings. 3

It is, of course, necessary to provide means whereby the leg 36 may beswung upwardly out'of engagement with the ground'to per- ..mit thetilting. of the rear horse 11 when it is desired to lower the automobileto the ground. For this purpose I preferably employ a bar member 44 anda rope or similar flexible element 45, the bar member 44' being hinged,as at46, to thezbody bar 37 of the swinging v leg and extendingrearwardlyabove the bar 26. The'fi'exible member 45 is connected, as bya pin 47, to the rear terminal of thisbar 44, and is passed" through astaple or equivalent device 48 which issecured to the rear face of'the'bar 26, as best shownin Fig.4. It will be seen by referring to Figs4' that a rearward pull on the cable 45 will projectcthe bar 44forwardly, with the resultant forward and upward swinging movement ofthe auxiliary leg member 36, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4.When the leg member 36 is thus swung upwardly, the weight of the machinebeing disposed remote from the center line of the legs 27 and 28 willeffect the tilting or swinging of the rear horse, permitting theautomobile wheels to drop to the ground.

It now becomes apparent that it is necessary to provide means wherebythe automobile may be lifted up onto the horses and with its wheelsspaced above the ground. This lifting or jacking of the machine isaccomplished by a lifting lever, designated as an entirety by thenumeral 49. The lever 49 is constructed from a relatively long strip ofscantling 50, secured to which is a hook arm 51 which extends at aforward and upward angle to the member. The forward terminal 52 of themember 51 lies beyond the forward terminal of the member 50, as bestshown in Fig. 3, and is equipped with a metallic hook member 53. Thishook is designed to be engaged with the rear axle of the automobileduring the raising and lowering thereof, and for this reason it isnecessary to extend the forward terminal 52 of the member 51 beyond theforward terminal of the member 50, since the forward terminal of themember 50 is adapted to be engaged with the bar 26 at a point somewhatbehind the rear axle of the automobile.

As a means for pivotally and detachably connecting the operating lever49 to the member 26, I preferably provide the member 50 with the hook54, which is engageable in a suitable eyelet or equivalent device 55carried by the member 26.

Having thus described the actual details of construction and arrangementof the various parts of my apparatus, I will now explain the manner inwhich the horses are applied to or removed from the automobile.

lVhen it is desired to ack up the vehicle, the horse 10 is placed underthe automobile, and is positioned with the sockets 20 of the supportingbrackets 16 and 17 in engagement with the front axle thereof. Then thehorse 10 is first applied to the axles, it is tilted forwardly, in themanner shown in Fig. 3, so that when the machine is pulled rearwardly ina manner to be hereinafter described, the front portion of the machinewill be swung upwardly as the horse swings rearwardly to its normalvertical position. After the horse 10 has been positioned, the operatorapplies the horse 11 to the rear axle, engaging the sockets 34 and 35with the axle, and tilting the horse forwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. Themember 50 is then engaged with the bar 26 by engaging the hook 54 in themember 55, and at the same time the hook 53 is engaged over the rearaxle. It will be seen that a downward pressure on the free end of themember 50 will tend to pull the vehicle rearwardly toward the operatorof the lifting lever. This rearward pull on the automobile will, ofcourse, effect the rearward swinging of the horses 10 and 11, which,when they have reached a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 4, willhave lifted the vehicle wheels out of engagement with the ground. As thehorses are thus pulled or swung rearwardly to a vertical position, theauxiliary stabilizing leg 36 will swing downwardly by gravity until thebar 37 engages the ground, in the manner shown in both Figs. 1 and 4.The operator may then remove the lifting lever 49, and the horses 10 and11 will support the automobile in the desired elevated position.Inasmuch as the vertical weight line of the rear portion of the machinepasses between the bars 37 and 26, due to the particular location of thesockets 34 and 35, it will be seen that the pressure on the bars 37 and26 will be approximately equalized, and that inasmuch as the supportingbase offered by the rear leg is relatively broad, due to the spacing ofthe bars 37 and 26, there will be no possibility of the automobiledropping to the ground until the operator moves the auxiliarystabilizing leg 36 upwardly, spacing it from the ground, and,consequently, destroying the equilibrium of the rear horse.

hen the operator desires to lower the machine down to the ground, it isnecessary to first apply the lifting lever 49, in the mannerhereinbefore described, and to exert downward pressure on the lever.Such downward pressure will tend to swing the legs 27 and 28 of thehorse 11 into exact vertical position, relieving the bar 37 of theweight which it has previously sustained, and permitting the operator toswing this bar upwardly by pulling the cable 45. As soon as the bar hasbeen drawn upwardly into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4,the operator releases the lever 49, and the machine, by reason of thedisposition of its weight, with respect to the rear horse member, movesforwardly, and drops onto the ground.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that it is necessary tomake the links 38 and 39 of such length that the bar 37, when in itslowermost position, is disposed a slight distance above the bottom faceof the member 26. This arrangement of the bar 36 is necessary in orderthat all weight may be removed from the bar 37 to permit the swinging ofthis member when the operator pulls the vehicle rearwardly to disposethe legs 27 and 28 of the rear horse 11 in exact vertical position.

As has been hereinbefore explained, this apparatus may be applied tovehicles constructed with varying axle clearance by adjusting thebrackets to the necessary elevation.

In reduction to practice, it has been found that the form of thisinvention illustrated in the drawings, and referred to in the abovedescription asthe preferred embodiment, is the most efficient andpractical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with theadoption of this device will necessarily vary,

it is desirable to emphasize the fact that va- 'rious minor changes indetails of construction, proportion and arrangement of'parts may beresorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages ofthis invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. An apparatus of the class described including a'pair of horses adapted to support I tically adjustable axle receivingbrackets carried by'each of the horses, an auxiliary stabilizing memberswingingly connected to one of the horses, said stabilizing membernormally gravitating to engage the ground or supporting surface on whichthe horses Y are placed, and means for swinging the free extremity ofthe stabilizing member upwardly to permit the tilting of'the horses,said means including a bar member pivoted to the stabilizing member, aflexible element connected to the bar, and a staple carried by the horseto which the stabilizing member is attached and receiving the flexibleelement.

5. An apparatus of the character described including a pair of horsesadapted to support the front and rear axles of a vehicle, a pair of axlereceiving brackets carried by the legs of one horse, said brackets beingin vertical alinement'with said legs, a pair of laterally oil'set axlereceiving sockets carried by the legs of the other horse, a stabilizingmember freely attached to said last-mentioned horse and normallygravitating to engage the ground, whereby to prevent the tilting of thesaid last mentioned horse when the vehicle axle is supported in thesockets thereof, and means for swinging the free extremity of the saidstabilize to the bar and operable for projecting thebar forwardly toswing the stabilizing member upwardly, said stabilizing member normallyfalling by gravity to engage the ground whereby the horse is heldagainst: tilting when a weight is disposed in the sockets thereof.

5. An apparatus of the character described including aqhorse having apair of vertically disposed leg members, a pair of axle receivingbrackets carried by the legs,- each of said brackets consisting of astrip of metal bent into a substantially L-shape and having itshorizontal leg terminally curved toform an axle receiving socket, thevertical leg of said socket being disposed. against the vertical face-ofone of the horse legs whereby the axle receiving socket of thehorizontal leg is laterally olfset with respect to the horse leg,fastening means for'securing the axle receiving brackets in adjustedposition,

and a swingingly mounted stabilizing member carried by the horse andnormally engaging the ground for supporting the horse against tilting.

'6. An apparatus of the character described including a horse,vertically adjustable axle receiving brackets carried bythe horse, aswinging stabilizing member attached to the horse, means for swingingthe stabilizing member upwardly to permit the tilting of the horse, alever detachably engageable with the horse, and a hook carried by thelever and adapted to engage with the axle of the vehicle to which thehorse is applied for pulling the vehicle rearwardly to cause the horseto swing upwardly to vertical position, said stabilizing member beingadapted to swing'by gravity into engageinent with the ground when thehorse is swungto vertical position whereby the horse is held againsttilting until the stabilizing member is again swung up.

7. An apparatus of thecharacter described including a horse providedwith vertically adjustable brackets adapted to engage an axle upon oneside of the vertical plane of the horse, and a stabilizing member freelyconnected to the horse upon the side thereof adjacent the engagingportions of said brackets, saidstabilizing member nor-' mallygravitating to engage the ground or other surface supporting thehorse'member normally gravitating to engage the ground in the path of thetilting movement of the horse.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VINCENT KOFTAN. 1,. 5.

Witnesses:

J. F. WEIssER, V10. F. KREYOIK.

8. An apparatus of the character described including a horse providedwith vertically adjustable brackets adapted to engage an axle upon oneside of the vertical plane of the horse whereby the horse will normallytend to tilt from the vertical, and a stabilizing member freelyconnected to one side of the horse and normally supported thereby abovethe ground or other surface supporting the horse, said stabilizingCopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G.

